Local Bagel Entrepreneurs with Columbia Roots

BO’s Bagels – a Harlem bagel shop run by Ashley Dikos and Andrew Martinez – was formed out of love for the classic New York City breakfast food, but has grown into a thriving business thanks to family support and a local following. Their ties to Columbia and the community are strong.

Martinez, a native New Yorker, grew up with an appreciation for good bagels and had a go-to neighborhood favorite as a child. Dikos, a Michigan transplant, describes herself as initially carbohydrate-shy but quickly learned to love the NYC staple food. Bo’s origin dates to when Martinez began tinkering around with baking in their apartment kitchen. After some trial and error, they began serving bagels to family for Sunday brunch...then started taking corporate orders for friends at work...and finally set up a stand at the Harvest Home local weekend market. Three weeks in, lines were forming before they even opened. The pair couldn’t believe it, but knew they were on to something big.  

Martinez’s father Anton, was a New York City architect and Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation adjunct professor. He recalls the day they showed his father the future space for Bo’s, who immediately sketched a design for the shop on the back of a napkin. With family support, BO’s Bagels opened in Harlem in 2017 and quickly expanded to a second location in Washington Heights in 2018.

Martinez is the “foodie,” an avid at-home cook with extensive front-of-the-house and kitchen experience in restaurants. He drives menu ideas, beginning with the classic New York bagel shop offering – bacon, egg and cheese on a bagel – to the sandwiches named for each member of their family: “The Brody,” “The Olivia” and “The Bowser” (a hot dog, named for their pup). Among the many mouthwatering options, customers will find bagel-spins on classics, like a Cuban, Reuben, or Chopped Cheese sandwich.

Dikos is the business manager, responsible for scheduling, operations, customer experience, and catering. Martinez says without her, “nothing gets done.” A graduate of the Mailman School of Public Health and former Orthopedic Trauma staff member, she reflects on her time in health fondly. She credits the experience with a foundation for service and understanding for safety, but now she knows life as a bagel entrepreneur is for her.  

This past fall, Martinez and Dikos got an unexpected call from the Event Management team at Columbia, looking to source homemade, New York bagels for their catering menu. “Everyone’s been talking about BO’s Bagels and suggested that we contact you!” Dikos recalls. 

Now they supply large scale orders of 65 dozen – that's 780 bagels – to Columbia. Baking is done out of their Washington Heights location, which boasts a larger kitchen compared to the original Harlem spot.  

The expanding business model is teaching the BO’s team new facets of their operation, which has been helpful as they grow.

And that growth is happening fast: BO’s is heading west to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where Dikos completed her undergraduate degree. 

Try BO’s at 235 W 116th Street in Harlem, 3750 Broadway in Washington Heights, or at your next Event Management-catered meeting.